Exploring the Physical Setting of Where the Red Fern Grows

Introduction

We have already read the first three chapters of the book.  We are going to pause now and explore the physical setting of most of this story, which just happens to be in Oklahoma!  I hope that this WebQuest will help bring this story to life for you.

Task

During this WebQuest you will be reading some short articles and watching a few videos.  As you complete each task complete the worksheet that you have been given.  Remember is you missed a part you can always go back and watch/read it again.  The purpose of the worksheet is to make sure you complete each step.

Process

Step One:  What are the Ozarks?

Click on the following link, which is a short description of the Ozark Wildlife Management Area.  It has a description of the area and the wildlife found there.  

https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlife-management-areas/ozark-plateau

Below is a link to a map that shows where the Ozarks are located and how the Ozark region is subdivided.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozarks#/media/File:OzarkOverview.jpg

 

Step Two:  Places mentioned in the book.

Watch a portion of this video.  It is a long video and you do not need to watch all of it.  The video is taken at Dripping Springs in Oklahoma.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nDZV6QyDFg

The next video is a tourism video advertising Robber's Cave State Park.  Watch all of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xkHVsC1ppk

Next, click on the link below.  This is a travel brochure about Tahlequah, Oklahoma.  This brochure has a lot of text.  You will not have time to read all of it, but the section on the history of Tahlequah is very interesting.  Focus on looking at the pictures of Tahlequah and notice the article on page three about the "Red Fern Festival".  Scroll through the brochure and notice the map showing the Illinois River which is also mentioned in the book.

http://www.tourtahlequah.com/uploads/3/9/4/1/39413933/tahlequahvisitorsguide_2016_web_1.pdf

Step Three:  Historical Reference--Cherokee Allotments

In the second chapter of the book, the setting of most of the story is introduced, and it is mentioned that the land the family lives on was Cherokee land given or allotted to his mother because of her Cherokee heritage. Click on the link below to read about how it is that the area around Tahlequah came to be the home of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. 

https://www.ducksters.com/history/native_americans/trail_of_tears.php

We have not yet reached the place in the book that reveals the meaning of the title.  Visit the following website to read about the red fern.  It is a a bit of a spoiler, but I don't think pre-reading about it will ruin that magic!

http://stateoftheozarks.net/natural/plants/redfern.php

I searched the internet to try and determine if the legend of the red fern is an actual Cherokee legend and could not find any evidence that it was.  Maybe Wilson Rawls created the legend for the book or maybe it was a legend he had heard as a child growing up in Oklahoma.  His mother was part Cherokee so it is possible she told him about it.

This is the end of this section.

Evaluation

Red Fern Setting Web Quest Worksheet

Step 1

1.  Dense stands of what type of trees are found in this region?

 

2.  List five animals found in the region?

 

 

3.  Which two subdivisions of the Ozarks are found in Oklahoma?

 

Step 2

4.  Are you surprised that a place like “Dripping Springs” exists in Oklahoma?

 

5.  Name one of the outlaws that hid out in “Robbers Cave”?

 

6.   Looking at the map of Tahlequah on page 7 of the “Tahlequah Brochure”, how far is it to the Illinois River?

Step 3

7.  How many Cherokees do historians estimate died during the “Trail of Tears”?

 

8.  Which president convinced some Cherokee leaders to sign an agreement giving up their lands in the eastern United States?

 

9.  When did Congress pass the Indian Removal Act?

 

10.  Name three reasons listed as causes of the high death rate during the “Trail of Tears”?

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed exploring the Ozarks and that you learned something new that will help you appreciate the novel even more.

Credits